Phoenix Sky Harbor announces new flight to Frankfurt, Germany

PHOENIX — World travelers at Phoenix Sky Harbor are getting more direct access to Europe, as planes will soon be flying between the desert and Frankfurt, Germany.

The new route was announced Thursday. In a press release, the airport said Condor Airlines — a division of the larger Thomas Cook Group — will fly to the German city on Mondays and Fridays between May and September.

“We are pleased to bring Condor’s award-winning, three-class service at attractive prices to Phoenix and the whole state of Arizona and to give the local people a unique choice for their travels to Germany and beyond,” Christoph Debus, the CEO Thomas Cook Group Airlines, said in the release.

The flights are scheduled to begin next year.

Flughafen Frankfurt am Main is the fourth-largest airport in Europe and the largest in Germany. Debus said fliers can use the Phoenix-Frankfurt route to connect to flights to a lot of other destinations.

“With our numerous partner airlines we offer flights beyond Frankfurt to over 120 destinations across Europe,” he said.

Tickets for the new route are available online.

Earlier this year, Sky Harbor said it was pushing to add a second direct flight to Europe. Prior to the Frankfurt announcement, the only European location with direct service to Phoenix was a British Airways flight to London.

To attract the Frankfurt route, the Phoenix City Council voted to waive fees to offset Condor’s airport costs.

“This is standard procedure at most airports today and can tip the scales when an airline is choosing between cities,” the press release said.

The funds to cover the fees are from airport revenues. No tax dollars are used.

The airport also received a total of $150,000 from convention bureaus in multiple cities to market the flight into Arizona.

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